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September 29, 2006

This Smirnoff Ice ad has been banned by the UK based Advertising Standard Authority for appealing too much to under-age drinkers. Despite the fact that Smirnoff has not received a single complaint on the ad, the ASA found that over 92,000 under-age drinkers have viewed it. My how the pendulum has swung. 20 years ago kids were exposed to endless cigarette hawking by a camel with a penis for a face, and now we live in a world where two bundled up Smirnoff Ice drinkers using hip lingo crosses the line. (Via AdPunch)

The Daily Mail reports that the "US baby wig craze" has hit Great Britain. First of all, was anyone aware that there WAS a baby wig craze to spread? These photos say it all and are really the first I've seen of baby wigs outside of Saturday Night Live's baby toupee "commercial" and Suri Cruise's suspiciously lucious locks. At left you can see two of the more popular wigs. I've got to tell my peeps over at ZiggyWigs about this.

After facing much consumer criticism and losing several blue chip sponsors,
Survivor has abandoned its segregated tribe experiment. The
separation lasted only two episodes, no word on the impetus for the
move. I watched the season premier and the only thing it
confirmed for me is that whininess in the wilderness knows no racial bounds, which we all knew to begin with.

September 28, 2006

Hey kids, drink Cocaine!! Um, what? That's right, the latest energy drink to hit the market is called Cocaine, which is 350% stronger than Red Bull, the current street standard.

Cocaine gives consumers boundless energy with "no crash", and gives marketers an endless arsenal of double entendres and metaphors. For example, at the Cocaine website you can purchase Cocaine at local "Dealers", or order online. An FAQ section answers such questions as, "Where can I buy Cocaine?".

Right now, the drink is in limited release as Las Vegas based Redux Beverages hands the drink out in night clubs, mails samples to opinion leaders like the New York Post and tries to milk the hell out of word-of-mouth buzz.

Cocaine does not support drug use (natch!!!) and donates to charities like MADD and DARE. Cocaine is also on MySpace, natch again!!! And, to round out my natch trifecta, some California activists are calling for a Cocaine boycott.

Don't fret if you lack a .edu email address my friends! Facebook, which started as an exclusive social network for elite colleges, and gradually morphed to include all colleges before inviting every pimply faced high schooler in the country with a .edu address in - has now opened its doors to all. It will be interesting to see if all the geriatrics, predators, stealth marketers and parents will swamp Facebook, or if they're all content over at MySpace. (Via AdRants)

Here is another horrifyingly off-topic post. Apparently Dustin Diamond has found a new way to raise money to save his home.

Last night at the gym I caught a teaser on E! that proclaimed a porn featuring Dustin Diamond (aka Samuel "Screech" Powers) had been leaked. Needless to say I almost fell off my treadmill (which would have been embarassing as it was only my second day working out at this gym).

To my dismay, an internet search this morning turned up this photo on Defamer. This image has been seared into my brain like something out of a malaria induced dream. I also find myself asking questions like, "If there are cheerleaders in this movie are they from Valley or Bayside?". Ew ew ew eweeweeweewwwwww!!

September 26, 2006

Yeah, you read that one right. Keith Dennis of Dennis Mitsubishi
has a radio buy in the Columbus area announcing that he is,
"launching a jihad on the automotive market." Dennis goes on to note that his sales reps, "will be wearing burqas all weekend long," and that some of his vehicles, "can comfortably seat up to 12 jihadists in the back." Bringing the kids along? Apparently, "Friday is fatwa Friday, with free rubber swords for the kiddies." Have fun explaining THAT one to your 7-year old.

Now I am about the last person you would accuse of having delicate
sensibilities, but this ad takes it too far. Way, way too
far. While the general manager of Dennis Auto Point feels that
terrorists are "fair game", there is a fine line between turning the
tables on sensational news stories about the war on terror and
trivializing the issue with distasteful humor - and Dennis Mitsubishi
has raced over it like a drunk 15 year old behind the wheel of 2007 Eclipse.

September 25, 2006

Business Week reports that Micro Target Media has boldly gone where
most people hesitate to follow, unless it's an "emergency" - the
port-o-potties.

MTM has been placing billboard style ads on the front of rows of
port-o-potties (smart!) and is also placing ads inside the stink shacks
(smelly!). What's more, the Toronto based MTM, will be counting
ad views in real time using counters on the door and infrared "laser beams".
While advertising on the exterior is ingenious, I think MTM's clients
would get more play on the interior if their logo was mounted on some
industrial strength air freshener - when I'm in those things I am
operating at warp speed and either a) holding my breath or b)
breathing through my shirt sleeve - definitely not scoping the interior
for interesting ads.

The company has placed ads at such mainstream events as the Indy 500
and the MLB's All-Star game - and is poised to put adds on 500,000
port-o-potties worldwide.

U2 front man Bono has struck again. Teaming up with Bobby Shriver (Kennedy), Bono is ramping up his Product RED, a "cause-related marketing" campaign for a mid-October launch in the US.

Product RED has met with great success in Great Britain, where a RED American Express card apparently has more cache than the Black AmEx (which you need to spend about 10 bagillion dollars a year to have).

The US roll out will include co-branded products such as Motorola phones, Gap shirts, Converese shoes and, what else? Wraparound Armani sunglasses (as seen on Bono on tour). 50% of the profits from these items go to Global Fund - a group that combats AIDS in Africa. (Via Business Week)